Sell-off is an option for Kindrogan Field Studies Centre in Enochdhu

Pictured are John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North (centre), at the Kindrogan Field Centre with Daniel Moncrieff, centre manager, and Robert Lucas, chief executive of the Filed Studies Council, in 2016

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Concerns were raised about the future of Kindrogan Field Study Centre in Enochdhu last summer, after it was confirmed it would no longer be used for research.

The field studies centre, located between Pitlochry and Blairgowrie, is the only one of its kind in Scotland.

Run by the Field Studies Council, it was put on “strategic hold” last July, meaning it would no longer be running as a research centre.

It was also reduced to a non-residential capacity earlier on in 2019.

However, the Field Studies Council now says Niall Campbell has been appointed to look at the future of the Perthshire centre.

Mr Campbell will need to explore options for the centre, to either ensure its financial stability or bring its costs to a conclusion.

Some of the options he will be exploring include leasing the centre out or ensuring there is a committed income in 2021.

However, if these options prove to be not be viable, the centre may be sold off.

Tim Foster, head of the north region at the Field Studies Council, said: “Niall Campbell has been appointed to Field Studies Council Scotland in a temporary role to explore options for FSC Kindrogan with a view to ensuring financial stability or bringing the ongoing costs to a conclusion in 2020.

“These options include making Kindrogan Field Centre a viable, sustainable operational unit with committed income in 2021, [or]establishing a partnership with Kindrogan Field Centre such that it is used by partner organisations on a shared or lease basis with a partnership agreement in place that covers the costs of running and reactivating the centre.

“Or, if these options are not viable, supporting the selling or gifting of the centre.

“Obviously our preferred option is to deliver courses at Kindrogan and everything possible will be done to try to achieve this.”

Niall will be working alongside Tim Foster, head of the north region, Alex MacFie with overall responsibility for the council and Mark Bolland as director of infrastructure to achieve these objectives.